Part 4: The Reunion

Each time I think you're gone/I turn around and you're creeping in/And I let you under my skin

It had been months. Dean still wasn't...okay, exactly, but he was better. Sam's pestering had finally gotten him to open up a little. They'd had a sappy conversation about feelings, and then Dean had cried and then Sam dragged him out to a bar and got wasted. A couple of hot girls caught his eye and grinned invitingly, but he didn't bother going over. Just kept drinking until his head was suitably fuzzy and Sam was telling him they had to get back to the motel.

Dean let himself be dragged back, but he didn't want to go in the room with Sam. He waved away Sam's protests, telling him he was just gonna sit out here for a while and think. Sam gave him a long look before finally nodding and reluctantly going inside.

Once he was alone, Dean stumbled over to the Impala and sat on the trunk, sighing and stretching until his bones popped. Then he leaned back until he was pressed against the back window, shivering at the cold but relishing it at the same time. He looked up at the stars, remembering all the times he and Sammy had sat like this, sharing a beer and just enjoying being together. One of his rare good memories of his childhood.

He's not sure how long he sat out there-maybe thirty minutes? He didn't bother keeping track, just stayed and enjoyed the quiet and the solitude and the...almost peaceful feeling he had.

He still missed Cas. He still hated that Cas was gone. But...he'd lost people before. It wasn't the end of the world. Well, not yet-they still had to deal with the Leviathans. But Cas had tried to make things right at the end, and Dean couldn't begrudge him that. He wasn't okay with him being gone, but he had begun the healing process.

"Dean." A low voice murmured his name nearby, and Dean sighed. He assumed it was Sam, come to bitch at him about coming inside before he got hypothermia or some shit like that. He sat up with a slight groan and turned, expecting to see his little brother-

-and found himself staring into familiar, impossibly blue eyes instead.

His breath hitched in his throat, and he almost fell off the trunk where he was sitting in his haste to get up. I must have fallen asleep, he thought as he landed clumsily on his feet, eyes still locked on the angel's. It's another stupid fucking dream...just a dream.

"Cas?" he murmured, voice slurring a little. His head tilted and damn it if the move didn't make Dean's chest clench.

"Yes. I'm sorry I could not return sooner. There were...complications," he said, eyes intent as they stared into his. Dean listened attentively, his heart aching slightly.

"'s okay, Cas," he mumbled. "You're here now-'s all that matters." Cas looked... different, though. It took Dean's drunk mind way too long to pinpoint what was off, but then he felt immensely stupid-he wasn't wearing his trench coat. He wasn't wearing any of his usual attire, Dean realized with surprise. Instead of the suit and tie that he had always worn for the entire time Dean had known him, Cas was now wearing comfortably loose jeans, sneakers, and a blue long-sleeve sweater with what looked like a white undertone. He looked so...not-Cas that it threw Dean through a loop, and he found himself staring until the angel squirmed, seeming uncomfortable with the silent scrutiny (which almost made Dean laugh, considering all the times Cas had stared at him creepily).

"Dean..." The angel murmured, his tone uncomfortable and apologetic, and Dean knew what he was going to say-the same thing he always said in this kind of dream, because Dean had figured out by now that it was one of the sappy instant-forgiveness ones that embarrassed him when he woke up-and he didn't need to hear it.

He reached a hand out and fumbled until he latched on to Cas' sleeve, tugging until the angel fell into his arms. Dean grunted and fell back a bit at the sudden weight, his arms encircling the angel, soft curly tendrils of hair tickling his chin. Dean pressed his face to them and inhaled, ignoring Cas' stiffness because he knew the angel would relax in a minute. He found that his hands were running up and down Cas' arms, almost stroking them, and he couldn't seem to stop. Cas wasn't protesting or struggling, though he did look confused when he tilted his head up to peer at Dean.

"'s okay, Cas," he murmured again, alcohol thick on his tongue and his breath. "You don't have to apologize-I've already forgiven you." Blue eyes widened in wonder and he seemed about to protest, and Dean really didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to hear Cas berate himself or try to convince Dean that he didn't deserve it.

So he bent down and pressed his lips to Cas' to shut him up.

A soft noise of surprise almost had him pulling away, but he could taste Castiel on his lips, heady and almost as intoxicating as the alcohol he'd consumed. So he slid his fingers up Cas' arms to twine them in his hair, pressing his body against Cas', and after only a moment the angel relaxed, attempting to mirror Dean's movements-Dean had to chuckle because the angel was so inexperienced, but he more than made up for it with enthusiasm-as his hands came to rest on the hunter's shoulders as though holding him close. One hand rested perilously close to the fading handprint scar and Dean shuddered, electricity sparking through him. An almost predatory growl emitted from Cas in response and fuck if it wasn't the hottest thing Dean had ever heard.

He let his tongue flick along Cas' lips, and Cas gasped softly. Dean took full advantage, his tongue slipping inside and dancing with Cas', and he felt more than heard the little moan that it drew from the angel. He chuckled darkly and nipped at Cas' lower lip. That got him another gasp and a growl, before he found himself pressed against the back of the Impala, much as he'd been before, only now with a warm angel practically on top of him.

"Cas," Dean almost groaned, only to be silenced by another hungry kiss from the angel. The dude learned quickly, Dean had to give him that, and he chuckled huskily as he slid his hands from Cas hair to trail down his back. When he reached a spot on his spine just below his shoulder blades, Cas' whole body shuddered in evident pleasure, and Dean felt his eyebrows arch in amusement. He rubbed experimentally and got the most adorable little mewling sound. Digging his nails in, he rolled his hips upwards against Cas', and they both groaned in pleasure, Cas now peppering small kisses along Dean's throat.

"Hey, Dean, I just wanted to check on-OH MY GOD. What the hell?!"

Sam's voice was like a bucket of cold water to the face. Cas jolted back as though electrocuted while Dean froze, only tilting his head to stare at Sam, unable to move because of the angel's weight on top of him.

"What is this?!" Sam cried, looking so confused. "...Cas? Is that you?" he asked after a period of silence, peering in evident shock at the angel.

"Yes, Sam. I came to your brother first and received a rather...enthusiastic greeting," he said dryly, tone not at all matching the dilated pupils and slightly debauched lips he was speaking with.

"...I can see that," Sam chuckled weakly after a moment.

Dean was reeling, staring at the angel that was almost straddling him. Sam was never in his dreams-ever. This could only mean...

Oh God. This wasn't a dream. Cas was really back.

Dean could feel slow heat creeping up his cheeks, his eyes wide as he stared up at the angel. He released his grip on Cas' shoulder blades to cup his face, barely catching Sam's "We'll talk later-you seem...busy" and the motel door slamming shut, too focused on his angel to care about his brother at the moment.

The instant Dean touched his face, those blue eyes were once again staring into his, and Dean felt his breath hitch slightly, his thumbs gently stroking Cas' rough, stubbly cheek.

"You're real," he whispered, sitting up slowly. Cas slid off of him, standing in front of him as Dean remained sitting on the Impala's trunk, mostly because he felt like if he tried to stand his legs wouldn't support him.

"Of course I'm real," Castiel replied, tilting his head in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Just...I've been having...dreams...for months now. Dreams of you coming back, I mean. I thought this was another one," Dean explained haltingly. He found his hands were on Cas' forearms, as though needing to maintain contact to ensure himself that Cas really was here and wasn't going to vanish again. He knew his face was bright red, and just hoped Cas would put it down to his intoxication and not the embarrassment Dean felt at admitting he'd dreamed about the guy.

"Oh...I see. Well. It's not." He shuffled his feet awkwardly, but maintained eye contact, for which Dean was grateful. His eyes were the most purely Cas thing about him, and they were the only thing keeping Dean grounded at the moment. His thumbs absently traced circles on the angel's wrist, and Cas glanced down for a moment at the movement, though he didn't seem to mind, before returning his gaze to Dean's once more.

"I'd kind of gathered that," Dean mumbled, and he felt the tears gathering in his own eyes now, damn it. "Sam's-he's never in my dreams," Dean explained at Cas' confused head tilt. The angel nodded, satisfied, and then gently freed one of his hands to touch Dean's face. He stroked his thumb there lightly, and Dean honestly couldn't help it-he leaned into the touch, exhaling raggedly, closing his eyes. Only to reopen them almost immediately because he couldn't believe this was real, if he closed his eyes then this might turn out to be a dream, Cas might vanish again, and he wouldn't be able to bear that.

"You're crying, Dean," he whispered, frowning. "Did I do something?"

Dean laughed pathetically, the sound almost like a sob, and used his grip on Cas' wrist to drag him close, wrapping his arms around the angel's neck and pressing his face to Cas' throat. "You came back," he mumbled into the skin there, voice small and vulnerable. "I thought I'd lost you, for good...but here you are. You came back."

"And...that made you unhappy?" the angel asked, sounding puzzled, hurt almost. Dean pulled back in shock, ignoring his damp face as he shook his head vigorously.

"Of course not, Cas! I'm so relieved that you're back it almost hurts. I'm so freaking happy, man. Why would you think that?"

"Because you're crying." He frowned. "If it's not because you're unhappy, then why are you crying?"

Dean laughed weakly again. "It's a thing humans do. Sometimes when we're really happy or relieved, we cry."

"I thought it signified sadness," Castiel noted, brow furrowing.

"Sometimes, yeah," Dean nodded, brushing absently at his face. "Most times, actually. But not always."

"Oh. Alright." There was a pause of comfortable silence where they just looked into each others' eyes, Dean basking in the knowledge that his best friend really was here this time, that he hadn't lost him. Then Cas spoke again, "Dean?"

"Mmm?" Dean murmured, his hands now on Cas' waist. He didn't remember putting them there. He wondered what Cas wanted to discuss now-there was a lot to talk about, and Dean was curious as to how Cas had come back, so maybe that was it. Cas' next words totally floored Dean, though.

"Why did you kiss me?" he asked.

Dean flushed bright red and immediately dropped his hands from Cas' waist as though he'd been burned, finally dropping his gaze.

"I got caught up in the moment...I was just so happy to see you. And I didn't want to hear you say you didn't deserve forgiveness, so it seemed like a good way to get you to shut up," he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"...oh."

Then: "...could I request that you do it again?"

Dean's head snapped up, jaw dropping a little, to see this tiny, hopeful smile on his angel's face. Blue eyes imploring, Dean knew he was a goner right away.

Instead of answering, Dean leaned in and pressed his lips once more against Cas, his hands moving to the angel's hips to drag him closer. Cas came willingly, his hands on Dean's waist, kissing him eagerly, hungrily and it had Dean shivering in pleasure.

Yes, they had a lot to talk about. But for now, it could wait. For now, Dean had his angel back, and that was enough.

-Fin-

[A/N:Hey, look at me! I finished right before heading out to the movies, on the same night I updated! Lemme know what you guys think, please leave a review. I'm off to see Jurassic world! Hope you enjoyed the ending of my story! Cuz, you know, this is the end. No more after this.]